Times Cheerleads for Hillary Against Trump

In May, The New York Times examined Donald J. Trump's plans for his first 100 days, during which he said he would focus on divisive campaign promises like building a border wall with Mexico. By contrast, The Times found in its reporting on plans for Mrs. Clinton's 100 days that she would look to push issues that might be broadly popular, like infrastructure jobs and a breakthrough on immigration.

So Mr. Trump's border wall is "divisive" — not "might be" divisive, just flat-out declaratively divisive — yet Mrs. Clinton's "infrastructure jobs" and "breakthrough on immigration" get the benefit of the doubt on the grounds that they "might be broadly popular." This is in defiance of the evidence. President Obama tried selling "infrastructure jobs" as "stimulus" and got bupkis as far as Republican support. George W. Bush, Senators McCain and Kennedy, and Marco Rubio have all tried for a "breakthrough on immigration" and have all run into the wood-chipper of Republican grassroots abhorrence of "amnesty." These two items, in other words, "might be broadly popular" in the Times newsroom or its Washington Bureau, but in the rest of America, they might be divisive, or unpopular, a fact the Times in this case seems too biased to acknowledge.

The Times article seems to put inordinate amounts of faith in the power of alcohol to overcome ideological and political differences:

Not one to do business over golf or basketball, she would bring back the intimate style of former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Lyndon B. Johnson, negotiating over adult beverages. Picture a steady stream of senators, congressmen and other leaders raising a glass..."To be crystal clear: She has led many battles where you can't compromise on principle," Ms. Tanden added. "But she also loves socializing, loves having people and spouses over, and really loves talking over drinks."..Mrs. Clinton's ability to use alcohol as a political lubricant came up repeatedly when allies and advisers were asked how she might work with Republicans. Her tale about a drinking contest with Senator John McCain of Arizona is now a Washington legend.

It makes one wonder what the Times editors were drinking, and how much, when they moved this story along.

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